My first Trench

Posted on October 1, 2016

What did I wear before I got my trench ? I can’t seem to take it off my back.

It goes with everything ! It feels like a turtle shell. I feel cozy inside it.

Perhaps I should take the 10-must-have-items-for-every-woman articles more seriously. Its in all of them.

Damn you French women ! Damn you for knowing it all and doing it so well. ( it == style ) And thank you for influencing me to try one.

@Everlane, thank you for existing. You make it easier. You save me time because I don’t have to do research on ethics of production before every purchase. But your finishing needs to improve. I always have loose threads on the seams and buttonholes in every garment I own from you.

@Everlane, you have a longer trench in every color but the one I want. Why ? I got the shorter one which is more like a long jacket.

A quick note after 4 months of wear : I really like Everlane’s trenches. They are boxy in fit and very well made for the price. Look on eBay first, to support the recycle economy and to save money. I paid 79$ for mine found new with tags. I am not familiar with trench coats to compare the materials and weight. Perhaps I am not qualified to review it as yet. I do like mine.

But do consider the mid knee length. They are more functional and an easier length to get the proportions right.

I bought a size that can layer on top of a jacket. Its a rain coat after all. I weigh 112lb, am 5.5 and got an Xs.

This is unlined in the body and 100% cotton. Its a more of a summer trench. I have been wearing it with a sweater underneath for early Fall weather.

Californians do hoodies, not trenchs. I wasn’t sure I could pull one off, without looking like a tourist. But this one is cut to not look preppy or Burberry-ish. Its easy to fit into the crowd.

Like always, I think my trench looks better when it doesn’t look new and shiny. It has a off-duty military man sort of appeal that is my style. Utilitarian garments in military fabrics are my favourite kind of clothes.

One color I wear that doesn’t go with khaki green is red. It makes me too colorful.

Margaret Howell is known to make a version of heavy duty waxed cotton mackintosh. She has been making the same one for the last 20 years, while tweaking the design every year. She observes how they age, tries to find the flaws, adds necessary details and improves her work. Thats a designer I admire.

This is my first. But I know it won’t be my last. I wasn’t sure if I will wear one considering everyone around me is in a hoodie all the time. This was my tester and I wanted to spend as little as possible while sticking to ethically made product. I want a mid knee length one that can be belted next year after I prove to myself that I am a trench person.

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@Any one out there who owns one / has been wearing a trench for a long time / is French : How long do these things last ? A few years ? It looks like thick cotton but is thinner than canvas. Its structured for now but will it keep its shape over time ? I want to wash it by hand at home and avoid the dry cleaners. And apply bees wax on it for waterproofing. Bad idea ? Suggestions/stories appreciated.

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12 Comments

This comment probably isn’t incredibly useful, but I do have a Brooks Brothers trench coat that mostly just gets light wear. I’m almost certain it’s this one (http://www.brooksbrothers.com/Cotton-Trench-Coat/250W,default,pd.html) although not 100% sure. I can vouch for the quality of the finishing, that fact that it has kept its structure over the years, and the absolute perfection of the fit (i’m almost exactly the same weight/height as you).

Oh no, it helps. I never had a garment like this. And its waxed cotton. I keep hearing that Burberry trenches last a life time and wonder how on earth does a cotton garment do that ! My European friends say that they find vintage Burberry MACs in the charity shops and are in good condition. Makes me wishful for the longevity of mine.

I first had a khaki knee-lenght one :-)-I was too young to appreciate the colour and the lenght :-). It lasted for ever,but I didn’t wear it very much
My next trench was very light, navy fabric,bought in Venezia and fabricated in Italy twenty years ago- I only didn’t sleep in it-it is very simple but beautiful,still have it ( and after a couple of years of waiting in the closet, am going to wear it again. I think it is not some famous brand but am too lazy to check right now-if it is ,I’ll be back later. Someone had try to “replace”it in a coffee bar once but everything ended well
After that,I’ve got as a present, long navy Burberry trench (I’ve bought wool lining myself later). It was too serious and too mumsy so after a while I got it adjusted and now is knee lenght.I wear it more like a coat in early winter.
And my love-sand Burberry trench-longer than yours,but not knee-lenght–it is ten years old,I was looking for the perfect colour and lenght for years. I wear it really a lot,it goes with everything. I,who usually wash my clothes by hand, am afraid of washing it-it goes to dry cleaner.
And I don’t know nothing about waxing trench
I like yours very much,it is beautiful colour and lenght,it suits you perfect and I assume it will last long.
Dottoressa

The short length of your trench is lovely. I bought a trench coat a couple years back because I like travelling in spring and fall weather, and it’s a pretty practical garment for such occasions. I like that mine has deep pockets into which I can stuff a small foldable umbrella. I also like that it works for work trips (my military style parka is more comfortable but not nearly as elegant).

I never get my trench so dirty that it requires intense cleaning, so I just soak it in cold water in a small tub (I got mine at ikea) with some gentle soap (usually I use shampoo), swish it around a bit, change out the water for clean water, and swish it around some more to wash out the soap, and then I do one last spray of cold water with my shower head. Then I put it into my washing machine for a gentle spin cycle (no water, just spinning for a few minutes) to get rid of most of the water, and then I hang it up to air dry.

This has worked pretty well for me, and because I don’t wring the item, it doesn’t rumple much. I use pretty much the same method for my heavy wool knit items too.

If the item is pretty dirty and gross, I allow myself to dry-clean it. Sometimes you just do what you have to do!

I want to avoid the dry cleaners for the petrochemicals they use. Perhaps I can find a echo friendly cleaner. I cant seem to stop wearing it and wore it on a hike ( pictures above ). It collected a lot of mud. I will give it a go at home first.

This one can be dressed up. I can use the buttons to fold it in the front and wear a belt on top. And it looks like a jacket designed for evening wear. This should have been the first piece of outerwear I purchased after I moved to America.

Washing it by hand will be fine. Cotton becomes brittle eventually if it’s slathered in drycleaning chemicals. I don’t even waterproof my trench anymore. Keeping it on your lovely wooden hangers will keep it in shape. Sometimes I air mine out on the balcony instead of washing though and that seems to keep it fresher. Love the trench with your hat (I’ve been searching for the perfect hat to wear with my trench, something to make me look like Johnny Depp in Benny and Joon).